The best thing I found was exercising consistently. I've gone for about a month now working out every single day no matter what. Some days I just do 20-30 mins so that I've done something, other days I put in an hour or two. But I ALWAYS do it. And now I'm so used to it that it's like brushing my teeth - just something I have to do without thinking about it before I go to bed! Plus there's the added challenge of trying to see how many days in a row I can go, and after a month, I do NOT want to start the count over!

Caveat: I do different muscles every day on a three day rotation, so they are all still getting rest time.

I try to make plans to work out with a friend or with my boyfriend...I find its a lot harder to bail out on something if someone else is expecting me to do it, if its just me, I'm a lot more likely to put it off or rationalize that I'll make up for it another time...sometimes too I can get myself going by changing into my workout clothes and tell myself if I just do 5 minutes I can stop after that. usually after the first 5 minutes I've happily settled into 'workout mode' and don't mind keeping it up. if not, well at least I did 5 minutes compared to the zero I would have done otherwise.

When I first started I did a very similar thing to Laura and I worked out every day for at least 10 minutes - even if that was marching in front of the TV. That way I could never just put it off until tomorrow. Now it is so much a part of my life and routine that it isn't much of an issue any more. I actually love going to the gym and I get upset when I have to miss it for some reason. I never would have expected that when I first started out!

__________________Nancy

86 pounds down, now for the next bit - fourth short term goal (back to 100 down):

I'm with Scenestealer and NotTheCheat. I always feel lazy so I exercise every day. That way, I can never say "I'll exercise tomorrow." I'm already planning to exercise tomorrow, so it won't make up for not exercising today.

Also, I hired a personal trainer. If I don't show up to exercise on those days, I lose $60. That's a big motivator. I've been doing the personal training for over two years now and I credit it as number one factor in my success; if you can afford it I highly recommend it. Beyond just getting me to the gym on my training days, it motivates me to keep my diet on plan and go to the gym on non-training days.

And taking classes at my gym has helped too. If I have a specific time I need to be at the gym, that helps get me there.

I absolutely have to work out every day, no matter what. Even when I probably shouldn't, like when I'm sick. Otherwise, I'll get in a rut and just give up. I make sure to do something every single day. Part of it is so it's a habit, and part of it is because if I skip days, I'll skip more and more days, and my energy level decreases as I get more sedentary, so it becomes a vicious cycle of laziness.

So to kick myself in the butt, I basically tell myself what I just wrote above, and remind myself that I'll thank myself in the end and I will feel better after it.

As much as I've learned to LOVE exercise (for all of the many benefits), there are always some days when I just DON'T want to move my rear end.

I have a few strategies to handle this:

1. I'll do something completely different - for example, for every time I need to go upstairs, I'll make myself go up and down the stairs four times. I'll use a full bottle of laundry detergent to do arm exercises while I'm doing laundry. I'll do squats, lunges and pacing while I'm talking on the phone. Even though it doesn't do that much to get my heart rate up, it's still movement and I'll count it as 1 activity point.

2. I'll start a workout and give myself permission to stop if, after 10 minutes, I don't want to do it. Invariably, once I'm in my workout clothes and moving, I start "getting into it" and finish the workout.

3. I'll do a shorter or easier workout - sometimes my body is telling me to cut it some slack - I don't have to push myself to the limit every time.

4. I think of a good reward (NOT junky food!) for exercising - some time with a good book, buying myself a "little something," going to a special event or movie with a friend, etc.

5. I do a silly little mind game that works for me: I put up an "away" message on my instant messenger screen that says "Working out" - just seeing the words makes me feel like I've created an obligation and then I'm more likely to do it so I can keep my word.

6. I look at my weight loss chart or my clothes closet (I always keep a "next size down" item in there) - these things inspire me to say to myself, "If you want to get there, you have the power to do it - the choice is yours."

7. I give myself one day off a week - and if it's a day that I REALLY don't feel like exercising (not feeling well, feeling too sore from a strenuous day), I use my "Sabbath rest" option. Since it's only one day a week, it makes me think twice before giving into laziness.

8. I talk to myself: "Remember the last time you felt this way and you exercised anyway? Remember how you felt afterwards? You felt energized, de-stressed, strong, empowered, proud, and motivated. Don't you want to experience those feelings again?"

I have this problem DAILY. *sigh* Every day I ask myself.... are you going to work out today? some times I say yes- other times I say Nope- Not today. But I try to do somethig productive so I don't feel as guilty for not going to the gym. I now- it's a cop-out. Some things that have motivated me to say YES! are :
Reading posts like this-- ALL DAY. It keeps working out at the top of my mind.
Making plans to go with a friend. Although sometimes it has backfired because she only wanted to go for 20 mins.
Drinking /taking caffine helps if I take it towards the end of the day to give me a boost.

Do I ever feel lazy? Oh, only about every morning when my alarm goes off at 5am... I am tempted to reset the alarm for 6 and sleep rather than get up and work out.

I don't do this because I don't like how I feel when I skip workouts. I had to pull a lot of overtime last week and missed 4 days of workouts... I felt sluggish, bloated, and my self-image took a nose-dive. Now that I'm back on track I have more energy, am happier and feel better about myself. The pride and sense of accomplishment after each workout are what keep me from giving in to laziness... well, and the results, naturally!!

I exercise in the morning before work. Almost every day when my alarm goes off I have a 5 or 10 second spell where I consider staying in bed and skipping a day. Why is it only 5 or 10 seconds instead of 30 minutes or an hour? Because the night before I've packed all my stuff for the morning. I've made it easier for myself to go through with what I've planned than to rearrange everything. Because I have a goal that I need to train towards. Because I exercise at a time of day when I find it easier to go with habit than with laziness. Because no matter how hard it is, I would rather be fit than fat.

My alarm goes off, and in those first few seconds I remember who I am now, I drag myself out of bed and I just do it, while I'm still too tired to argue with myself.

__________________Helen

SW - 260, Original GW - 160 - achieved 21 March 2006, CW erm... I'll get back to you on that